#Tryin' to overcome that so... gonna push myself.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Three

"Dammit!" (Y/n) cursed, jamming the crimson blade of her sword into the ground. She glared out across the surface of the large body of water located in the Alstor Slough. The corpses of catoblepases littered the lake, blood pouring from the massive wounds scattered across their bodies. Some were disemboweled while others had appendages torn clean off. The bunyips had claimed the catoblepases and left after feasting on their prey. There were no clear indicators of which direction the pack had went after their meal, leaving the Horseman with nothing more than a dead end.

"These damned things are smarter than they look," War hissed under her breath. Ares walked over toward his rider, nudging his muzzle against her cheek with a faint neigh. She reached up and stroked his muzzle with a sigh. "Thanks, buddy."

Ares neighed a second time, enjoying her gentle touch. The Horseman glanced at the corpses one last time before an idea came to mind. A few seconds ticked by and she suddenly felt a familiar presence manifest beside her. "What're you doing out this far, Pestilence?"

The ivory-haired girl smiled gently at her sister. "I simply wished to see how you were faring, but..." She saw the gruesome scene before her, which caused her smile to vanish. "That would be an ignorant question."

"How goes your hunt?" War asked.

"As well as yours. This draugr is quite bothersome and I've yet to locate it. My next destination is the Leide region."

The two girls fell silent for a few minutes. They still couldn't tear their eyes away from the large carcasses that littered the Alstor Slough. The monsters from the Inner Sanctum were much more powerful than daemons and the beasts indigenous to Eos.

Pestilence shattered the silence after more minutes ticked by. "I know you aren't fond of mortals, but maybe it'd be best if you traveled with Prince Noctis and his companions. With their excursions around Eos, locating the bunyips and dullahan may prove to be an easier task. You could also teach His Highness a few new tricks."

(Y/n)'s head snapped in Pestilence's direction. "You're kidding, right? There's no way in hell I'd travel with mortals."

"Oh, don't be like that. Traveling with them could also allow such distrust to be erased. You need to learn to trust others. I know it's difficult because of your past, but it's been centuries, War. You must overcome it."

"Come talk to me again once the person you loved stabs you in the back. Literally."

"What Gaius did was awful, but you must forget in order to move forward. I have come to terms with what happened in my previous life. It's time you do the same." Those were Pestilence's final words before she vanished.

The (e/c)-eyed girl stared at the spot her sister once stood before looking back towards the blood-tainted water. She leaned against Ares with a groan. "Why does she always have to be right...?"

Ares bobbed his head up and down with an energetic neigh. He nudged his muzzle against her crimson locks, urging her to do what Pestilence said.

Seeing her steed was in agreement with her sister, (Y/n) glared weakly at him. "You're my partner, not hers! Traitor..." Once again, Ares urged her by nudging her gently forward. The girl stopped him before he could push her into the water. "Okay! Okay! I'll head back! You gonna give me a lift or do you want me to exhaust myself by teleporting?"

The horse allowed his rider onto his back. Once she was ready, he took off in the direction of Cauthess Coernix Station where she had left Gladio only a few hours ago.

By the time she arrived back at the rest area, the sun was setting. She dismounted Ares, the horse vanishing in the blink of an eye. She looked around the rest area, her eyes landing on the group of boys as they enjoyed dinner together. However, she noticed their joyful mood dampen when Ardyn walked over and tried to spark up a conversation.

(Y/n) kept her distance until Ardyn sauntered off. When he was gone, she approached the boys. Before she could say anything, Prompto spotted her. "Hey, (Y/n)!"

All eyes fell on her when the blonde announced her presence. She remained level-headed, keeping her temper in-check. "Hi."

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon," Gladio said. "How goes the hunt?"

"Awful," she sighed. "The bunyips have fled from Alstor Slough, leaving behind the corpses of many catoblepases as evidence. However, that's all they left. I've no clue which direction they traveled in after their hearty feast."

"How dangerous are those things exactly?" Noctis wondered.

"Very. The man you gave a lift is lucky to still have his arms and legs."

"Damn..."

"If the hunt went bad, why're you back here?" Gladio inquired.

"Pestilence and I had a small conversation. She brought a few things to my attention and it's only because of her that I'm back here. She mentioned traveling with you four would prove to be beneficial in locating the bunyips and the dullahan." She glanced around at their faces before continuing. "I know you four probably don't like me in the slightest because I come across rude and cold, but I...hope you can look past my behavior and let me accompany you."

"That's...uh..." Prompto's voice trailed off.

"If it's too much, I understand. I'll give you some time to think about it."

"Wow. You're being nicer than usual," Noctis commented.

War was tempted to snap back, but held her tongue. "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf."

"If that's the case, I don't see why you can't join us. Maybe you'll even tell us why you can use the Crystal's power."

"Maybe..."

"I do believe your cooperation would be beneficial," Ignis stated.

"Aw, yeah! (Y/n)'s joinin' us!" Prompto cheered.

Gladio grinned and decided to push his luck. "Welcome to the team, firecracker."

She tried to smile, but it faltered slightly due to the nickname. "Thanks for having me."

After that, (Y/n) fell silent for the rest of the night. She wandered a little ways away from the caravan when Ardyn and the boys called it a night.

In the middle of the night, Gladio was startled awake by a nightmare. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a heavy sigh before deciding to leave the caravan to get some fresh air.

Walking outside, he immediately spotted (Y/n) leaning against the side of the caravan. Her gaze was locked on the sky, but it was soon turned to him when the door closed behind him. "Never expected to see you up this early. It's only four in the morning."

"Yeah, well, it's a little difficult to sleep when a nightmare won't leave you alone," Gladio retorts.

"Be friendly..." War whispered to herself. She pushed herself off the caravan and asked, "Wanna...talk about it?"

The brute chuckled at her forced question. "You really are tryin' to be nice, aren't you?"

"Don't make fun of me," she hissed. Realizing her rising temper, she took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm new to this friendly stuff. Give me a break..."

"Didn't you have friends in your previous life?"

"No," she blandly replied. "I was too busy with other things."

"Did those other things have to do with why you can do what Noct can?" He questioned.

"Yes. But there's no way in hell I'm telling you everything just yet. Earn my trust and I'll tell you." She combed a hand through her crimson locks. "Anyway, wanna talk about that nightmare or you just gonna keep making fun of my lack of friendliness?"

"Nah, I'm not a little kid. Besides, it's not like I could make sense of the nightmare myself. It was all over the place."

"As is with most dreams." She looked back up at the starry night sky. "But seriously, you should try to get some more sleep. You'll need every second you can get if you plan on going to the Disc tomorrow."

"Look at you being all caring," Gladio chortled. "It's weird."

"Shut it," she growled. "Would you rather I be a bitch 24/7? Because that can be arranged."

"Hell no."

"Good. Now get your ass back to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gladio, once having cleared his head thanks to his conversation with War, went back into the caravan and crawled on to the couch to get some more sleep. Within a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

<-------------<<<<<

The following morning, the boys and their new companion left the rest area with Ardyn leading them to the barricade that prevented anyone from accessing the meteor directly. Along the way, the four boys conversed while (Y/n) remained silent. Although she was sandwiched in the middle between Ignis and Gladio, she wasn't bothered which surprised her.

Seeing as the Horseman had been silent ever since they left Cauthess Coernix Station, Prompto nervously tried to talk to her. "Hey, um, (Y/n)?"

The redhead's (e/c) gaze locked with his cerulean one. "Yeah?"

Hearing no sass or annoyance in her tone, he asked, "Would you like to see some awesome pics?"

Her brows furrowed. "Pics? What're those?"

"Y'know, pictures!" Prompto turned on his camera and handed it to her.

(Y/n) carefully handled the device she was unfamiliar with. She examined it with curiosity, wondering what it did. "What is this thing?"

"A camera," Prompto clarified.

"Don't tell me you've never seen one," Gladio said.

"Of course I haven't," she retorts with a slight hint of annoyance. "If I had, I wouldn't be asking."

"It takes pictures," the blonde stated. "They're like, uh...still images!"

"So they're like portraits, right?" She pondered.

"Something like that."

War followed Prompto's direction and was able to access the pictures. She scrolled through them, amazed at how many there were. Not only was she fascinated by the pictures, but also how such a device could change the appearance of a picture. "How fascinating," she mumbled with awe.

"It's just a camera," Gladio commented.

"Hey, it's not like...!" She sighed, calming herself. "Eos has changed significantly since my time. We didn't have any fancy technology like cameras. If we wanted portraits, we hired artists to paint them."

"Exactly when was your time on Eos?" Ignis asked.

(Y/n) lowered the camera. "Nearly a millennium ago. I am the oldest among the Horsemen." Her crimson locks formed a curtain around her face, concealing it. "The world truly has changed since then..." Combing her hair aside, she handed the camera back to Prompto, thanking him.

Before Gladio could ask his own question, they arrived at the barricade. Noctis glances at Ardyn and muttered under his breath, "Better not be a setup."

Ardyn had heard the prince and glanced at him. "Have I given you reason to doubt me?"

"You don't exactly inspire confidence," Prompto retorts.

"Yeah, not very straightforward," Gladio added.

Ardyn ignored their comments and called out, "Hello! It's me! Be so kind as to open up!" The gate opens, shocking the group.

Prompto stared in bewilderment. "Wow, that worked?"

"I may not look like much, but I do have some influence. Aren't you glad we came together? Your audience with divinity lies ahead."

"You're leaving?"

"I drop you at the Archaean's open door, and with that, bid you farewell." Ardyn drives away, leaving them.

Noctis drives the Regalia through the barricade as Gladio said, "I've met some weirdos..."

"I hope we never meet that one again," Ignis finished the shield's thought.

"Whoa! Little harsh there, don't you think?" Prompto inquired.

"Oh, please. That man, whoever he may be, even gave me the creeps," (Y/n) said.

After reaching the end of the path, everyone climbed out of the car. They spotted a narrow path ahead and decided to see where it led. Following it all the way to the end, they came across a ledge overlooking the meteor. Upon the ledge was an intricately carved stone sarcophagus. Prompto blinked in surprise. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Didn't expect to find a royal tomb here," Ignis commented.

"Would be a shame not to grab that power, eh, Highness?" Gladio asked Noctis.

"Let's grab it and go." Noctis walks up to the sarcophagus, holds out his hand, and acquires the royal arm residing within. After he claimed the weapon, the ground begins to shake. Prompto and Ignis fall down while Gladio, Noctis, and (Y/n) manage to keep themselves upright.

"Here we go again," Prompto whimpered.

"This one's huge!" Gladio shouted over the loud rumbling.

Ignis noticed the crumbling ground beneath Noctis, Gladio, and (Y/n). He yelled, "Get away! Quickly!"

Noctis' headache suddenly returns, bringing him down to one knee. He recovers as fast as he can and tries to run away from the crumbling ledge. He is unable to get far before the ground falls out from under his feet, dropping him against a slope where he slides down until he briefly lands on a small ledge below. Unfortunately, the boy quickly slides off the ledge and turns to try grabbing on. His desperate attempt to grab anything to stop his descent was futile.

Gladio, who was safe on another ledge, noticed the steep plummet Noctis was sliding towards. "Noct!"

(Y/n) was dangling from a narrow ledge when she heard the shield shout the boy's name. Looking down, she noticed the ravenette's dilemma and huffed in annoyance. "Dammit..." Summoning her sword, she released the ledge and plummeted downward. Tossing her blade, she warped just below Noctis and grabbed his wrist before he could fall out of reach. Jamming the blade into the rock, she halted their descent. Due to their combined weight, the blade was slowly slipping from the stone. Seeing they were in such a dangerous position, (Y/n) remained level-headed and addressed the boy. "Noctis, summon the weapon you can throw furthest. Throw it up to where Gladio is and warp."

Noctis glances up to where the brute was and noticed how far it was. "There's no way I can warp that far!"

"Yes, you can!" She hissed, her arms shaking. "If I can do it so can you! Besides, if you fall, I'll just catch you again."

He was still unsure, but trusted the Horseman's judgement. "All right, but what about you?"

"Did you already forget who I am?" War snapped. "Just hurry up and warp!"

Noctis summoned a dagger and tossed it as high up as he could. The short blade pierced the stone just below the ledge where Gladio was and he warped to it. The shield helped the prince up and over the ledge. Once Noctis was back on his feet, he and Gladio peered over the ledge at War. They both watched as her sword vanished, causing her to fall.

Before either one of them could shout her name, the Horseman's body vanished in a puff of smoke. She reappeared beside them, rolling her shoulder. "Let's get moving."

Just as the trio went to proceed forward, the Meteor begins to rise before them, revealing Titan, who has been holding the chunk of space debris on his back for many years. Noctis was bewildered at the sight. "What the-?"

Titan says something indecipherable in the language of the gods, but (Y/n) understood him clear as day. Of course, she remained silent knowing the god wasn't calling out to her. Her time as the chosen was cut short and now she was a nobody to the Astrals.

"Goddamn... This is the Archaean?" Noctis murmured as he gazed at Titan.

"Seems we woke the big guy up," Gladio said.

"He's trying to tell me something... But what?"

Prompto suddenly calls out from high above, grabbing the trio's attention. "Noct! You okay?"

Ignis also peered down at them with a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens you're safe. Is there a way back up?"

"No, but there's a path. Gonna see where it leads," Noctis replied.

"You two try to get down," Gladio stated.

"Very well. We'll look for a way. Be careful, now," Ignis advised.

"You, too," Noctis said.

"What? We're going where!?" Prompto shrieked.

The trio wandered down the path. As they did, Noctis' and Gladio's tempers were slowly rising with the heat. (Y/n) gritted her teeth, annoyed at the two. She kept her lips sealed, knowing she'd say something out of line and risk losing her chance to travel with them. Deciding to ignore them, she pushed past the two and walked ahead. She led them down the diverging path where a group of dynoaevis birds flew overhead.

Gladio noticed their strange behavior. "They're on edge-let's not ruffle their feathers any more."

"Um, try shutting your beak," Noctis groaned.

"Just offering sound advice."

"Yeah, like a parrot in my ear."

Unable to stand another second of it, (Y/n) snapped. She manifested a large fireball in her palm and threw it at the flock of birds. The flames fried the creatures' bodies, resulting in a rancid odor to waft through the area. Noctis and Gladio were flabbergasted at the suddenness of such a powerful spell and eyed the Horseman.

"Uh, (Y/n)?" Gladio called out to her. "You okay?"

War spun around, glaring daggers at the two. "No, I'm not okay. I'm annoyed. You two are acting like children in the middle of a dangerous situation. Excuse me if my sanity snaps all because you two are irritated and can't stop bickering with one another." She placed a hand on her hip. "There's a god trying to swat us like flies, or have you already forgotten?"

"Of course not," Noctis retorts.

"Then do as the bastard demands so we can make this quick," she growled.

His eyes narrowed. "What're you talking about?"

"You may not understand the language of the gods, but I can. The Archaean has led you to him directly so you can prove yourself. Do it and don't screw up or you will be crushed along with everyone else."

The prince's eyes widen. "You can understand him...?"

"That's not the point here! Both of you man up and get over this little spat you have going on! One person alone cannot stand against a god." Turning her back to them, she pressed onward. She heard them call her name, but she ignored them. "Why am I stuck with these two...?" She sighed.

[phobiadeficient]

Can I matbe request another Speeding Bullet angry sex drabble? But perhaps this time it's Scout who's angry with Sniper? Only if you want of course and I hope you're staying safe in these times!

what if just this once scout had like standards for how other people get to treat him and talk to him and like instead someone else had to go the extra mile and make an idiot out of themselves instead of him for once and he like demanded a certain amount of respect from the people he allows himself to be vulnerable with like would that be wild or what

(warnings for arguments and a little pushiness at some points)

-

The entire hall was treated to the sound of Scout yelling “FUCK YOU,” followed a few seconds later by the sound of a door slamming loud enough to echo. The wide majority of people who were in their rooms were surprised, but decided against investigating. Demo was the one who gave in to curiosity and peeked out his door to see what had happened.

He was treated to the sight of Sniper standing in the hallway looking absolutely stunned, taken aback, and most of all unsure of what to do. He heard the door creak, and glanced over, eyes wide behind his sunglasses.

Demo raised an eyebrow at him. Sniper made an “I don’t know what to tell you” sort of shrug. Demo’s other eyebrow rose and he ducked back into his room to let him sort out whatever the hell he’d done on his own.

Over the course of the next few days, the rest of the team got to bear witness to Sniper getting the coldest shoulder on the planet as Scout would abruptly start to slam things more and storm out of rooms the second he showed his face. Exactly once someone tried to ask Scout what Sniper did, at which point Scout responded with so much swearing that he wasn’t asked again. At a few different points Sniper was asked the same question, at which point he explained that he was pretty sure talking about it would just get him in more trouble.

Outside of view of the team, there were a couple times where Sniper tried to approach Scout. Every time, Scout would make an excuse to get away from him, and lacking that he would just leave outright. At one point he tried to corner Scout, but unfortunately for him, Scout’s whole thing mostly consisted of being great at climbing.

For a little while, he considered waiting for Scout to stop being mad. He realized almost immediately that Scout was fully capable and entirely willing to just be angry forever and he really, really didn’t want that.

It was pretty late one night when Sniper steeled himself and walked into base to track down Scout to talk to him, and he was promptly informed that Scout had gone out for a run.

It was getting pretty late, and the many half-ruined entirely-abandoned buildings that they commonly found themselves getting murdered in and around looked very different in the lighting of sunset. And with no leads other than a general direction he hadn’t really expected to get anywhere close to tracking Scout down, especially since Scout was actively avoiding him at all costs. Luckily for him, he heard the light clatter of shifting roof as he passed one of the buildings.

It took him about ten minutes and a considerable amount of noise and he almost lost his hat three times and sunglasses twice in the process of climbing up onto the roof. To be completely honest, he was half convinced that he would get up there and found that Scout had left while he was climbing. But he crested up over the lip of the roof and was relieved to see that Scout was still up there, lying on his back with his hands behind his head, staring up into the sky.

He sat himself down a good few feet away, sweaty and out of breath and a little sore. Scout glanced over at him, face uncomfortably blank.

“See, now you’ve fucked up,” Scout said calmly, “because I can get down from here by myself and you totally can’t. You’re gonna break your fuckin’ legs. You’re an idiot.”

Sniper didn’t reply to that, still mostly just trying to catch his breath and figure out what to say.

The silence stretched out for a long several minutes. Scout was the one to break it. “What the fuck do you want?” Scout finally asked.

“...Wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said carefully.

“Yeah?” Scout asked, voice cold.

“Yeah,” Sniper agreed.

“Good to know,” Scout said, still cold.

“Awright, look, I know what I did wrong—“ Sniper started in, but Scout cut him off.

“Do you? Are you sure? Do you know what you did wrong?” he asked, voice gone sharp. “Because it sure didn’t seem like you knew what you did wrong. Either didn’t know or didn’t care. One of the two.”

“I—I know, and I’m sorry—“

“I don’t think you’re sorry though is the thing, I think you’re sorry that I got mad at you, I think you’re sorry you got in trouble for sayin’ that—“

“I’m sorry that I said it and I wouldn’t have said it at all if I knew it would make you upset,” Sniper cut in, and Scout sat up, glared at him dead on.

“You didn’t think that maybe I would get upset? Didn’t think I’d even get mad at you?” he challenged.

“I just—all the rest of the time you’ve got a thick skin,” Sniper defended. “Anyone else says anything even beyond that mean to you and you brush it off. From everyone else you don’t mind it.”

“Well you’re not everyone else,” Scout snapped. “You’re different. That’s the fuckin’ point, is everyone else on the planet is always sayin’ that kinda shit to me, but you’ve got my back. But you’re always on my side. That—that you like me, at least.”

“Scout, of course I like you—“ Sniper tried.

“No, yeah, you like me, you just think I’m a fuckin’ idiot apparently, some dumbass,” Scout scoffed. “That I’m stupid and can’t—“

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sniper cut in, “you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then what the fuck did you mean?”

“I just... I just meant that I thought you were wrong about that one particular thing, and I, I used too strong a word—“

“And called your boyfriend a fuckin’ idiot, yeah,” Scout said. Sniper tried to cut in again. “No, no, shut the fuck up. It’s my turn to talk, okay?”

Sniper shut up.

Scout took a breath, sighed hard, glaring out towards the horizon line. “Look, I—I had to grow up dealin’ with people thinking I’m stupid and annoying and worthless. Everyone. And I had to work real fuckin’ hard to convince myself that I’m worth anything. Real fuckin’ hard. And I still gotta work hard at it, even out here. And I’ve had a goddamn laundry list of people who rejected me and called me all that dumb shit too. But I’ve gotten some fuckin’ standards since then, alright? So I’m not gonna put up with that. You don’t get to talk to me like that.”

“Sometimes couples push each other’s buttons—“ Sniper tried to say.

“Do I ever make fun of you, Snipes?” Scout cut in, expression hard. “I ever call you stupid? Make fun of you for the shit that I know you’ve got damage about?”

Silence.

“Yeah, thought so.” Scout glared at him for a few more seconds before he laid back again, sighing hard. “Just get the fuck outta here, Snipes. I’m gonna be pissed for a while.”

“I really am sorry,” Sniper tried.

“And I’m not forgiving you yet. Beat it.”

Sniper managed to climb down without getting busted up too bad, and returned to his camper again feeling what was probably a suitable amount of extremely ashamed of himself.

It was twenty minutes later when he got a banging on his door, and when he opened it, Scout was standing there, still looking pretty annoyed.

“Okay so I’m still mad at you but I did leave my other sneakers in here,” he said before Sniper could overcome his surprise and say anything.

Sniper considered that for a few seconds before he stepped aside to let him in. Scout came in and picked up the sneakers in question from near the bed, and stood there for a second, glaring at nothing.

“And just because you apologized and you’re being nice, that doesn’t mean I gotta forgive you,” he said firmly, as if anticipating an argument.

“Right,” Sniper said, because that was true.

Scout chewed on the inside of his cheek. “And—and if I tell you to fuck off and not talk to me, then—then fuck off,” he said, also firmly, also already defensive.

“Awright,” Sniper agreed. “I’ll try.”

Scout glared harder. “And just because you’re agreeing with me that’s—that’s not gonna make me stop being mad. I’m still gonna be mad whether you’re cool about it or not,” he declared.

“Fair enough,” Sniper shrugged.

Scout glared at him for a good ten seconds in complete silence before he spoke again. “Fuckin’ quit it.”

“Quit what?” Sniper asked, confused.

“Just—just quit it!”

“Quit what?” Sniper repeated, more confused.

“The—this!” he said, gesturing at the entirety of Sniper. “Quit being you! I’m still mad at you! Quit it!”

“I—what?” Sniper asked, so entirely confused.

Scout slammed his shoes back to the ground, looking beyond annoyed. “You’re tryin’ to make me less mad at you by being—being all fuckin’ sweet and all understanding and shit, quit it! Stop!”

“I’m—I’m not trying to make you do anything! I just understand!” Sniper defended.

“Bullshit! Why aren’t you mad too?!”

“Because I was a complete arse?” Sniper proposed.

“Why aren’t you annoyed about me being mad at you?!”

“Because you’re right to be angry!” Sniper exclaimed, exasperated. “Because it’s true that I should treat you right! Because I shouldn’t have called you a bloody idiot!”

“Yeah!” Scout agreed angrily, and glared at him for a few seconds. “And—and I get to be mad at you for as long as I want now because that was really, really, really shitty of you!”

“I know! I agree!” Sniper said.

Scout stared at him for long minutes, fists clenched at his sides. Then he stormed forward the six steps between them, grabbed Sniper by the front of the shirt, and dragged him back across the room. Sniper, for his part, mostly focused on not tripping and falling, and then his thighs made contact with the edge of the cot and he was shoved, and then he was on his back and Scout was above him, straddling his waist. He didn’t protest in the slightest despite his shoulders being pressed against the wall in a way that was slightly uncomfortable, the position awkward.

“I’m still pissed at you,” Scout said firmly.

“Right,” Sniper said, and then Scout was yanking him up by the collar and kissing him, hard.

It was as much an extension of Scout being mad as a kiss, his bottom lip bitten half to shreds in a few short minutes. And when he gingerly tried to slide his hands up Scout’s thighs, his hands were grabbed hold of and pinned on either side of him on the bed within a second.

“Fuckin’ leave those there,” Scout grumbled, and Sniper nodded, and was kissed again for a second before Scout pulled back to muddle with his belt.

To be entirely frank, Sniper wasn’t sure what to think. Scout was angry with him, and Sniper knew that he was right to be. And now here he was starting to strip both of them in turn. And that wasn’t—he wasn’t opposed to that, not at all, quite the opposite actually, it was just mixed signals a little bit. He was a little confused.

And it was a rush of sensations and feelings, Scout really going to town biting and sucking marks into his neck and upper chest while he fumbled with some meager amount of prep, it having been a good couple of days and all, and then he gave Sniper exactly zero warning before he was sinking down and—

“Bugger,” Sniper managed to gasp, needing to fist his hands into the sheets to keep from grabbing Scout or falling back. And Scout’s thighs were tense on either side of his waist, and he rolled his hips once and twice to get comfortable, and then he set into a hard motion that made Sniper keep gasping.

It was one of the rougher fucks he’d had in their relationship, Scout’s rhythm downright unforgiving, the slap of skin to skin on collision stinging, rough enough and overwhelming enough that it practically felt like Sniper was the one being fucked. And throughout it Scout was a lot quieter than he tended to be, his only sounds being hard breathing and occasionally swearing under his breath. He was flushed down to his chest, and his eyebrows were all drawn together, and he was biting his lip hard enough that Sniper was a little worried he was going to hurt himself, and somehow all of that combined into making him downright gorgeous.

He slowed at one point, apparently struggling to catch his breath. Sniper’s hands left the bed to stroke up his thighs again encouragingly, and again Scout shoved them away, and then that fire was back and the rhythm resumed, leaving Sniper to choke on his breath.

Sniper finished first, but it was a close thing, Scout following just behind, his release warm as it dropped against his stomach where his shirt had been abandoned halfway through being unbuttoned and had ended up just shoved halfway up in the front.

And for a few seconds it was just he and Scout’s panting, trying to get their breath back. And he felt a distinct tremble to Scout’s thighs, a weakness that he knew tended to happen, and for a few seconds Scout struggled to try and leverage himself up a bit. When he spoke, it was muffled against Sniper’s neck and shoulder.

“Help,” he said quietly, and Sniper did in an instant, hooking an arm around his waist and helping to lift him up and free, letting him settle comfortably further down Sniper’s thighs. Then his hands were pushed at again, and he returned them to his sides obligingly. “You’re still an asshole.”

“I know,” Sniper said.

“And—and I’m not stupid,” Scout said next, clearly trying to muster up some amount of anger behind it, but he mostly just seemed drained, physically and emotionally. That realization was further punctuated when Scout took a shaky breath, sniffling once. “I’m not an idiot. I’m not.”

“I know,” Sniper said again.

Scout stayed like that for a while, hands resting coldly against his waist even as he kept his face buried in the crook of Sniper’s neck. It became more and more clear the longer he stayed there that he was trying to pull himself together, and wasn’t having an easy time of it. In fact, it didn’t seem to be working at all. He kept taking shaky breaths, kept sniffling, and Sniper processed that the dampness against his neck wasn’t just sweat anymore.

“Scout,” Sniper ventured, chest absolutely aching. “I know you’re still angry with me, and I know I’ve earned it, but please can I hug you?”

Silence for a few moments before Scout nodded, and then Sniper gathered him up in his arms, squeezing tight and comforting in exactly the way that always made Scout feel a little better. And Scout’s breath got all the more shaky for a few moments after that, and Sniper caught a hiccup or two, but then he settled, melting forward into the embrace, smoothed over and malleable.

“It hurt a lot when you said that, y’know,” Scout murmured against him, so softly, almost painfully vulnerable. “I wasn’t even all that mad about that part. It just really hurt.”

Sniper didn’t interrupt him, rubbing gentle circles into his back and waiting for him to find his words.

“I was mostly mad because usually when I feel like shit, I go to you about it, and then I couldn’t do that because you were the one who made me feel like garbage.” Scout nuzzled in closer, tighter. “And it made me figure out that I really really need you. For real. And now I couldn’t—“

Silence for a few seconds. A deep breath or two.

“Don’t do that again,” he settled on saying.

“I won’t. I promise,” Sniper agreed.

Silence.

“And I didn’t mean it,” Sniper continued. “Really I didn’t. I don’t know why I said it, I was just... running my bloody mouth like some prick. I shouldn’t have said something I don’t mean. And I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Scout said quietly. Silence again. “I’m not still mad. I’m just... fuckin’ tired now.”

“Sleep?” Sniper suggested, and Scout nodded, and Sniper set about getting them cleaned up and settled into bed.

And it was pretty obvious that while he wasn’t still mad, Scout was going to be bruised over the whole thing for quite a while, but now that he was allowed to, Sniper planned on doing everything he could to make up for it. However long that took.

Because he needed Scout too.

[okeymakeydude]

And he keeps insistin’…

“You have to come and talk to me, Savage. You’re still in psychiatric treatment.”

“Oh, c'mon, it’s not like I’m gonna try to kill myself like Red Alert did.” I said and laughed. “I’m cool with myself, don’t ya see?”

“Don’t say that, you know Red Alert…”

“Rung, i know he’s not good at anythin’ and a fool at tryin’ to kill himself. It’s too easy do that.” I interrupt him. “The good thing about him is that he isn’t a fuckin’ fuckup like Rodimus is”

“Savage! What’s wrong with you? They haven’t done anything to you!”

“Yeah yeah, i know but it’s funny and with this, I’m tryin’ to get ya out of here. Can you get outta my fucking habsuite? I wanna sleep.”

“No. First, it’s daytime and second, I’m not leaving until you talk to me like an polite bot. No swearing.” He said seriously and then sat next to me.

I can’t believe this is happening. I sighed and got up…from the moment I met the psychiatrist and saw what his work was about, I didn’t want to be a part of his patients, i dunno why, but it seems weird to me that only he talkin’ to his patients can he solve their problems.

“(I swear to Primus, if I could…)”

“And don’t speak in that unknown language."He mentioned it as his last warning. "Savage, it’s not for nothing but you have post-traumatic stress disorder, fear of physical contact because you don’t want to get ‘dirty’ and claustrophobic. You need to talk”

“Ya, alright, alright. Thanks for reminding me about all those problems, I appreciate it a lot but now, I’ll talk to you if you close your optics and count to ten."I said with a fake smile.

Waiting for an answer from him, I smiled most when I saw him nodding and covering up his optics with his hands. What a fool, I can’t believe it’s so easy to convince him. I started moving back to the door and when I turned around, I chashed with something suddenly and that made my nose hurted me.

"Oh fuck, my fuckin’ god!"I shouted as I covered my nose painfully.” What the hell…?“

"Hey Savage, what’s up?"a familiar voice said.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that I asked a friend to help me. I thought you were going to try to distract me to escape!” Rung said with a smile.“ You don’t mind, do you?”

“Tellin’ you the truth, I care a lot.–look, can’t we just do…? I dunno, let me go?”

“I did what you wanted and now it’s your turn to promise what you said.”

Suddenly I noticed my hands clutching my shoulders.

“Hey, hey! Don’t! What the hell Fort Max?! Don’t touch me!”

I shook my body to get away from his hands.

“Calm down, Savage. You’re panicking.” He said putting more strength in his hands.“ You need to calm down.”

And then, he hugs me.

“Oh scrap, shit, fuck, damnit all. Get off me right now o-or i swear…”

“You have to face your fear, those red spots you mention, those spots don’t exist. You have to convince yourself."Rung looked at me as he stood beside me.

"Okey, i will do it when you two leave me alone.”

With my arms I push the face of Fort Max to try to break away from him and move my legs but without any result. The two bot looked at each other and smiled and then I saw how Rung put his hands on his waist, and Max hugged me tightly and lifted me up.

Oh no, that’s not good.

The first to speak was Fort Max.

“We still have plenty of time to overcome those fears. Little buddy.”

“Oh c'mon. Kill me please.”

Sorry about my English. 😆 i hope you like it.

[queermarvelfan-blog]

On, Wisconsin!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

A/N: Hey kids! This is my first fic, and there will more than likely be a second part. Please feel free to leave any sort of feedback (I’ve never written anything like this before so any and all feedback would help tremendously)!

Summary: You're assigned to go on a mission with just the man you’ve been trying to avoid catching feelings for: Bucky Barnes. Nothing can predict what will happen during a mission to your home state. It doesn’t help that you two have to pretend to be a couple.  

Warnings: There’s like, two swears - just fluff and semi-flirty Bucky.

Wisconsin has always held a special place in your heart. When you were told during the mission briefing that you would be sent to Wisconsin to track some possible HYRDA activity, childhood memories flooded your vision. You had grown up in a small town in the southern part of the state in the middle of the country. Halfway through a memory of your favorite trip up north, you were snapped out of your trace by Tony saying your name. You blinked and looked around, being met by the stares of not only Tony, but Steve and Bucky, too.

“Y/N? You still with us,” Tony asked. You could feel the annoyance in his stare.

“Yeah, sorry, just making some mental notes,” you managed.

Steve and Tony turned their attention back to whatever map or chart or whatever they were rambling on about. Bucky cleared his throat from across the table and you shot him a quick side glance. He always loved to tease you, especially when you were flustered.

Ever since you joined the team, you and Bucky have had a certain connection. It was purely flirtatious and fun, with a hint of danger. Lately, you to have been growing close - closer than you’ve let yourself get to anyone in a longtime, and you still haven’t decided if it was a good thing or not. At this moment, you chose it probably wasn’t a good thing. You’d rather spend time prepping for your mission rather than letting yourself be overcome with your thoughts and fantasies of Bucky.

A sly smirk slowly crept up the right side of his face. You looked down at your mug of coffee and notepad. A small, folded piece of paper had appeared on top of one of your doodles. You quickly glanced at Bucky, then delicately grabbed the note and opened it.

Ready for some fun? You crumpled the small note.

It was obvious Bucky wrote the note, being especially evident from his horrible handwriting. Even Steve had better handwriting.

You look back up at Tony and Steve, attempting to divert my eyes for Bucky’s sly glances.

“You’ll head out tomorrow. Your location and other mission information are in these folders,” Tony explained as he dealt out the two manilla folders. “Y/N and Bucky, you guys will be heading out tomorrow morning, bright and early, to catch your flight. Try not to forget to use your new aliases and at least attempt to play up your roles as a couple.” Wait, what? He turned to head out of the meeting room, then looked back over his shoulder before making his final exit. “Oh, and try not to keep at least somewhat professional.” Steve blinked and gently shook his head, then cleared his throat. Without saying anything, he got up and trailed Tony out of the room and into the corridor that led to the elevator. Great. Now I’m stuck with Bucky...by myself.

You could feel heat beginning to rise in your face. Bucky let out a low chuckle that gradually turned into a yawn, and shifted in his chair to look at you, stretching his arms above his head. You watch as the muscles beneath his shirt twisted, begging for freedom against his sleeves. His shirt lifted just enough to reveal his navel and his hardened stomach. You also caught a little glimpse of a treasure trail. Damn this man.

He reached down and put his hands on the edge of the table, pushing his chair away and rising to his feet.

“Well doll, guess I’ll see ya in the mornin’. Do you take cream and sugar with your coffee?” He questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow. You gathered up your notepad and coffee mug as you stood from the table. Your now cold coffee sloshed over the side a little bit and onto your notepad, but you tried to not pay any attention to it as you tucked the notepad under your arm to brush a curl out of your face.

“Nope. But I can grab my own coffee before the flight, thanks,” you say as you turn to towards the door. Right now, all you wanted to do was try to avoid conversation and make it back to your room without any trouble. A few steps down the corridor to the elevator, you heard the heavy steps of boots approach from behind. Soon enough, you felt Bucky brush against your shoulder, quickly falling in stride with your steps.

“Ya know doll, we’ll be spending a lot of time together on this mission. You’re gonna have to talk to me at some point,” he said calmly.

“We are talking, right now. What else do you want?” You question with a slight edge to your tone. More coffee sloshed over the edge of your mug and onto your chest. Oh, great. You stopped in front of the elevator and tucked your notepad under your arm again to press the “up” button. You turned to say goodbye to Bucky but noticed his gaze had dropped below your face, directly to the coffee on your chest. He flicked his eyes back to yours.

“You have somethin’ on your shirt,” he said lowly through a smirk. Here comes that heat again. Just what you needed right now.

The elevator door opened before either of you could say anything else, and you quickly stepped inside.

“I noticed,” you muttered. The heat continued to creep up into your cheeks. You quickly hit the button to your floor, and Bucky stepped into the elevator. Usually, you didn’t mind that you and Bucky lived on the same floor. In fact, you loved it. Living on the same floor just gave you more time to admire him. But right now, you were dreading it.

Time in the elevator felt like it passed slower than molasses. You could feel the awkward tension growing by the second. Bucky cleared his throat.

“Did I do something wrong, Y/N? I thought we were closer than this,” Bucky stared forward. The question kind of took you by surprise.

“N-no, you didn’t. I’ve just been uh…,” you paused. “Going through some stuff lately.” Bucky isn’t an idiot and probably saw right through your shitty lie. The elevator dinged, and the doors quietly slid open. Bucky extended his arms and raised an eyebrow as if to say, “Ladies first”.

You muttered a quiet “thank you” and walked down the hall, passing your room on the right and heading into the kitchen. You dumped the rest of your coffee down the sink and put the mug in the dishwasher. You heard Bucky quietly walk up behind you, and you turned around, coming face-to-face with him. His grey-blue eyes were staring through you, and he put his hands on the counter on either side of your waist. You tried to back up at least a few inches, but instead just felt the cool kiss of the granite counter through your thin shirt. You’re pretty sure you’ve never felt this intimidated before - but in a weird, sexy way.

“It feels like you’re tryin’ to ignore me, and honestly, I feel kinda hurt,” Bucky said quietly with a slight tilt of his head. “If I did somethin’ wrong, I want you to tell me, doll.” You take a deep breath. You can smell something minty and earthy radiating from him. It feels like it’s overtaking your senses, and you fight to not let yourself give-in to the urge to kiss him, right then and there.

“Trust me, you haven’t done anything wrong,” you barely choke out. “It’s what we might do that I’m worried about.” You quickly duck under his arm and round the corner to your room, shutting your door firmly behind you. Nice going, asshat. Now you’ve really complicated things.

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